A Simple Four Step “Green Trail” Framework

Last week we talked about that knot-in-your-stomach feeling that shows up right before you try something new. I shared my very shaky debut on a green mountain bike trail and how similar that felt to raising a fee, picking a niche, or finally sending that first broadcast email. 

The point was simple: you are not broken for feeling fear. The goal is not to erase it. The goal is to get better at acting with fear riding quietly in the passenger seat. 

This week, I want to get practical and give you something you can use right away in your business. 

Here is a simple four-step framework I like for tackling what scares us. 

1. Name the hill in front of you

Vague fear is undefeatable. Specific fear is negotiable. 

Write down one sentence that starts with: 

• "I am afraid that if I _______ then _______ will happen." 

For example: 

• "I am afraid that if I start charging a professional planning fee then all my existing clients will leave." 
• "I am afraid that if I pick a niche then I will lose any client who is outside that lane." 
• "I am afraid that if I host a small event then nobody will show up and I will look silly." 
• "I am afraid that if I start using AI then I will break something or look stupid." 

Most of us have at least one sentence like that running in the background. Bring it into the light. 

2. Shrink the experiment

Once you have named the hill, turn it into a tiny experiment instead of a life sentence. 

Think of the traveler who might be interested in something a little adventurous. You wouldn’t suggest a week in a remote hut with no plumbing. More likely, you would start them off with one soft adventure excursion on an otherwise comfortable itinerary. 

Your experiment:

• Curious about fees? Try them with new inquiries only for 30 days. See what happens. 
• Thinking about a niche? Rewrite one page of your site or your Advisor Showcase profile so it speaks clearly to that ideal client, and send one email tailored to that niche. You do not have to burn the rest of your business model to the ground. 
• Want to try video? Record a 60 second trip tip and send it to three warm clients via text or email, not the entire internet. 
• Want to run a group? Start with a small, hand-picked departure for eight to 10 people you know, not 80 strangers. 

The rule: if the experiment makes you so anxious you keep avoiding it, it is too big. Shrink it until you actually do it! 

3. Build a simple safety net

Fear usually shouts, "If this goes wrong, everything is ruined." 

You can calm that voice by deciding in advance: 

• How long you will test this. 
• What "stop" looks like. 
• What you will do if it flops. 

Examples: 

• "I will test a $149 planning fee with new leads for 60 days. If my close rate drops by more than 10 percentage points, I will pause and adjust." (note: even if it flops, it may not be the fee, it may be your pitch/confidence needs more practice.) 
• "I will post one niche focused social post per week for a month. If engagement tanks, I will look at the content, not declare the niche dead." 
• "I will host a Zoom info night. If only three people come, I will treat it as a rehearsal and a chance to practice my pitch, not a verdict on my business." 

Travelers feel better when they know there is a Plan B, and guess what? Advisors do too.

4. Decide your "one new thing" for the next 30 days

A theory is nice. A decision is better. 

In the next 30 days, what is one new thing you will let yourself be nervous about and do anyway? 

Make it small enough that you could start this week: 

• Add or increase a fee. 
• Pick a specific niche to speak to in at least one place: your profile, your site, your next email. 
• Host a mini event: a "sip and sail" night, a Zoom Q and A about river cruises, a partner webinar with a supplier rep. 
• Learn one feature of AIVIA or PRO CRM and commit to using it daily for two weeks. 
• Ask one top client for a referral in a more direct way than you usually do. 
  
  

Write it down. Tell someone. If you want an extra layer of accountability, email it to me at jblock@worldvia.com. I read every note.

Why this matters more than you think

I want to zoom out for a second. You spend your days giving your clients courage. 

First passport courage.

First cruise courage.

First "we are finally going to Europe without the kids" courage.

You are already in the business of helping people try something new, even when they are scared. This is just that same work, turned inward. 

Every time you push through and ride a green trail in your business, you get a little less fragile and a little more free. The hill that terrified you six months ago becomes the warm-up loop. That mental muscle is worth more than any single tactic. 

Because the truth is, the industry will keep changing. Technology will keep evolving. Traveler behavior will keep shifting. The advisors who thrive will not be the ones who never feel fear. They will be the ones who have learned to feel it, name it, shrink the experiment, and ride anyway. 

One little hill at a time.